Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Nanchang

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchang: $648 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Nanchang
Learn more

Nanchang Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Nanchang

🇨🇳 China

$648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Nanchang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shanghai and in Nanchang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $648 in Nanchang, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Nanchang $648

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $1,058 in Nanchang, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Nanchang $1,058

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $1,467 in Nanchang, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Nanchang $1,467

Shanghai costs about 92% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shanghai and Nanchang are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 8% lower, Nanchang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$2.35 ¥15.70

94.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$18.21 ¥122

65.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$4.81 ¥32.18

9.15%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$2.59 ¥17.29

26.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.44 ¥2.92

29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.27 ¥1.81

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.31 ¥8.76

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$1.89 ¥12.66

20.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$2.05 ¥13.70

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$2.40 ¥16.07

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$0.84 ¥5.64

22.62%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$1.67 ¥11.15

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$13.25 ¥88.6

28.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$3.95 ¥26.44

-19.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$11.77 ¥78.7

9.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$1.99 ¥13.29

12.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.08 ¥7.22

53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$1.91 ¥12.74

5.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.81 ¥12.12

-8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$0.91 ¥6.11

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.13 ¥7.54

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$0.61 ¥4.10

3.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.43 ¥2.90

39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.07 ¥20.51

23.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$12.42 ¥83.0

-12.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.78 ¥5.20

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$1.52 ¥10.19

5.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.26 ¥1.75

134.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$14.93 ¥99.8

96.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$1.24 ¥8.26

70.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.31 ¥2.08

38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$7.29 ¥48.75

24.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.25 ¥8.34

6.40%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$19.1K ¥127.7K

-0.39%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$17.9K ¥119.4K

4.80%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$57.8 ¥387

$34.93 ¥234

65.50%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.09 ¥54.1

$9.27 ¥62.0

-12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$13.34 ¥89.2

-21.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$42.85 ¥287

53.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$19.61 ¥131

-9.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$6.42 ¥42.91

39.41%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,414 ¥9,451

$326 ¥2,176

334.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$16.8K ¥112.2K

65.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$37.86 ¥253

42.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$22.07 ¥148

68.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$87.6 ¥585

-15.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$60.7 ¥405

74.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$223 ¥1,493

372.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$118 ¥791

394.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$451 ¥3,014

451.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$257 ¥1,718

379.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$2,008 ¥13.4K

593.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$1,624 ¥10.9K

285.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$745 ¥4,984

129.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.46

-2.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nanchang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Nanchang

$118 18.3% 79.8% $466

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Nanchang

$227 35% 3.3% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Nanchang

$94 14.5% 23.2% $28

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Nanchang

$77 11.9% 27% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Nanchang

$56 8.6% 33.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Nanchang

$58 8.9% 24.7% $19

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Nanchang

$19 2.9% 48% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $223 in Nanchang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 130% higher in Shanghai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $18.00 in Nanchang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $227 – making Nanchang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇨🇳 Nanchang

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

Same time as Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

5,042,566

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shanghai Nanchang 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Nanchang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 92% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $973 in Nanchang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanchang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $648 in Nanchang. That's a gap of about 92%.

Public transport costs about 97% less in Nanchang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchang, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Nanchang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanchang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nanchang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.